Among the 89 people, Li Shuang had fully recovered, and You Lan also used some methods to quickly return to her optimal state.
The remaining individuals had only recently arrived on the third floor. Although they had been racing against time to recover, most of them still looked pale and their spiritual consciousness was weak.
But the trial waits for no one.
As soon as the voice fell, the third trial began.
This trial...
Li Shuang's expression shifted slightly.
In this stage, hundreds of profound iron heavy hammers once again extended from the central pillar.
This stage!
It had returned to the Thousand Machine Hammer Array!
The expressions of the others were quite accustomed, clearly indicating that this was a consistent rule.
Li Shuang immediately realized it.
A thought flashed through her mind.
The Thousand Machine Hammer Array.
The Five Elements Source Lines.
Could this be a cycle?
And would there be two more such cycles from the third to the sixth floor?
If that were the case...
Li Shuang's eyes lit up instantly.
That would truly be a great thing!
Whether it was the soul tempering of the Thousand Machine Hammer Array or the Five Elements Crystals from the Five Elements Source Lines, both held immense importance for Li Shuang in her current state.
One helped her enhance the strength of her spiritual consciousness, and the other helped her comprehend all things.
These were precisely the two things cultivators in the Soul Transformation stage needed most.
No wonder the gap between the top geniuses of the Central Continent and others was growing ever wider.
Every seven years, there was such an opportunity.
If they weren't strong, who would be?
In front of the water screen, new bets were placed.
Many people thought they would blindly bet on Li.
However, looking at the bets offered by the City Lord, everyone burst into laughter.
"Who will be the first to fall in this stage?"
The answer to this question was quite random. Except for the top few geniuses, everyone had a chance of being the first to fall.
Everyone casually chose one and placed their bets.
At this moment, the new Thousand Machine Hammer Array began to operate again.
As soon as the array started, Li Shuang's expression changed slightly.
In this stage, the profound iron heavy hammers of the Thousand Machine Hammer Array, whether in speed, strength, or quantity, were much greater than in the first stage.
The trajectory of the heavy hammers also became more profound.
Even though everyone had tried their best to prepare, under this unavoidable hammer array, eliminations quickly occurred.
Within the time it took for an incense stick to burn after the third stage began, more than twenty people fell from the golden platform.
Only sixty people remained on the golden platform!
The bets were instantly settled, with some cheering and others sighing, a variety of reactions.
Next, everyone focused on the performance of these geniuses.
Li Shuang was undoubtedly the focus of attention.
For the new Thousand Machine Hammer Array, was Li still planning to use the method from the first floor?
Li Shuang's expression was solemn; the hammers this time were significantly harder than in the first stage.
Could she withstand them head-on?
Li Shuang wasn't entirely confident.
But she couldn't just miss the opportunity to temper her spiritual consciousness.
Fortunately, she had fully experienced the soul tempering of the first stage, and the strength of her spiritual consciousness had grown considerably compared to when she first stepped onto the golden platform. She could take a gamble.
With a solemn expression, Li Shuang applied spiritual power, firmly locking her legs onto the golden platform.
Then, she gave up dodging.
Allowing the heavy hammers to strike down forcefully.
In an instant, her spiritual consciousness felt a moment of disorientation.
A cool sensation came from her thunder marrow, and Li Shuang instantly broke free from the dazed state.
Subsequently, another heavy hammer struck.
Li Shuang continued to endure the pounding on her spiritual consciousness.
Everyone dodged while looking at Li Shuang with complex expressions.
This was already the third floor, and she still dared to take the heavy hammers head-on...
You Lan was silent for a moment, then suddenly, she looked at an approaching heavy hammer and actively met it.
If Li could do it, why couldn't she?
The heavy hammer fell.
You Lan gritted her teeth tightly.
It was only the first blow.
She could still bear it!
Soon, the second blow came.
You Lan continued to endure.
After barely enduring three blows, her face turned a little grim.
Her spiritual consciousness was repeatedly shaken; often, just as she recovered from the first shock, the next one arrived.
If she continued to push herself...
She would fall from the golden platform.
You Lan glanced at Li Shuang opposite her.
She could still endure.
A Soul Transformation cultivator, yet the strength of her spiritual consciousness surpassed her own.
Watching the fourth heavy hammer approaching, a trace of unwillingness flashed in You Lan's eyes. Just as the heavy hammer was about to reach her, she ultimately dodged.
By this third floor, Li Shuang also couldn't persist from beginning to end like she did on the first floor.
She estimated that once she reached her limit, she would also temporarily dodge for a while.
After recovering some, she would continue to temper her spiritual consciousness.
In this cycle, Li Shuang followed her plan step by step.
On the first day, a total of thirty people fell.
On the second day, a total of five people fell.
On the third day, a total of ten people fell.
On the fourth day, a total of ten people fell.
On the fifth day, 25 people were eliminated!
This time, You Lan also learned from Li Shuang. She stayed in the third stage, gritting her teeth and enduring until the very end.
In this stage, everyone only ascended to the fourth floor at the last moment.
The golden platform surrounding the central pillar instantly became incredibly sparse.
Only a mere nine people ultimately reached the fourth floor!
Li Shuang looked at the other eight people.
These eight people should be the top geniuses of the Central Continent.
She now felt a small thrill in her heart.
After two years of tempering, she was finally qualified to compete with these true peerless powerhouses.
"Let me introduce myself."
Suddenly, a voice rang out.
The veiled woman smiled at Li Shuang: "Wuji Sect, Cang Yin."
Third on the genius list! Cang Yin!
Li Shuang was stunned for a moment, just as she was about to say something.
The others spoke up one after another.
"Luoxia Sect, Feng Yu. The Luoxia Sect you rejected," a white-robed man raised an eyebrow.
Second on the genius list! Feng Yu!
"Nine Nether Gate, Yan Lie," the body cultivator grinned at Li Shuang.
Li Shuang's eyes flickered slightly.
Among the five super sects of the Central Continent, two were demonic sects: the Demonic Heaven Sect and the Nine Nether Gate.
"Tianyan Sect: Mo Li," the young man holding a compass smiled slightly at Li Shuang.
Luoxia Sect, Wuji Sect, Tianyan Sect. The genius disciples of the three major righteous super sects were all present.
The remaining few also spoke up, simply stating their sects.
Without exception, all these people were ranked in the top ten, and all were disciples of super sects.
Except for You Lan and Yan Lie, everyone else came from righteous sects.
More disciples from righteous sects made it onto the list.
But because You Lan was there, all the other geniuses seemed to dim in comparison.
You Lan glanced at Li Shuang and calmly said, "Demonic Heaven Sect, You Lan."
Everyone knew You Lan; her self-introduction now was simply because she recognized Li Shuang as an opponent.
Li Shuang cupped her hands towards everyone: "Li."
She didn't state her sect's name, and no one found it strange.
After all, the City Lord himself was also without a sect or faction.
The fourth stage didn't start immediately, and Cang Yin looked at Li Shuang with a smile.
"Most of us probably won't pass this stage. Sister Li, I just hope you can go to the fifth floor, to the sixth floor, and preferably suppress You Lan completely." Cang Yin was very direct.
You Lan remained expressionless, without any reaction.
"Although Li hasn't joined the demonic path, she also hasn't joined your righteous sects. Even if she wins, what does it have to do with you?" Yan Lie's voice boomed, "You Lan has dominated the genius list for years; you couldn't do anything yourselves, so you can only hope others help?"
Yan Lie and You Lan didn't have any personal relationship, but as the only two from the demonic path, they couldn't help but exchange a few words at this moment.
Feng Yu snorted, "What does You Lan being first have to do with you? Don't forget, you are still behind me and Cang Yin."